So many artists, so many songs, so little time. Each week we review a handful of new albums (of all genres), round up even more new music that we’d call “indie,” and talk about what metal is coming out. We post music news, track premieres, and more all day. We update a playlist weekly of some of our current favorite tracks. Here’s a daily roundup with a bunch of interesting, newly released songs in one place.
TKAY MAIDZA & FLUME – “SILENT ASSASSIN”
Australian artists Tkay Maidza and Flume have teamed up for this inventive, captivating dose of electro-rap.
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JOELL ORTIZ x L’ORANGE – “OG”
Veteran rapper Joell Ortiz and producer L’Orange will release a collaborative LP, Signature, on August 11 via Mello Music Group. The first single is the hard-hitting, tongue-twisting victory lap, “OG.”
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GLASSER – “DRIFT”
Glasser’s first album in a decade, crux, is out in October, and the latest single is art-pop gem “Drift,” which recalls Bjork’s magisterial weirdness. “The song was written a really long time ago,” Glasser says. “I was so excited about it that when I wrote it I made like fifty different versions of the song and the one that’s on the record is an amalgam of three different versions. That lyric is just something that came out of me, ‘What a good life / Except for all those times / When you want to die’ It was kind of meant to be a joke, but sounds quite serious in the context of the entire record. But also, jokes are serious sometimes too. It’s good to joke about serious things, for me at least. I made so many versions. And I really wanted the final version to have a dark disco vibe because dancing about death is better than weeping. They’re both good, but I wanted to dance about that.”
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TEENAGE FANCLUB – “TIRED OF BEING ALONE”
“Towards the end of our session in Rockfield Studios making the album, I woke up in the middle of the night. There was a guitar next to the bed. I picked it up and this song came out,” says Teenage Fanclub’s Raymond McGinley. “The words for the chorus were there already. I recorded a rough version on my phone and then went back to sleep. We recorded the song later that day. As a band we like to trust our instincts and let things happen. As with Norman’s song ‘Foreign Land,’ this song only exists because we decided to go to the studio and make a record. If we’d waited for the stars to align first before recording, we’d still be waiting now.” Teenage Fanclub’s new album Nothing Lasts Forever is out September 22 via Merge.
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THE MOUNTAIN GOATS – “JAM EATER BLUES”
The Mountain Goats are still on Merge, but have just released this 7″ the Sub Pop Singles Club. “Life is too short to refrain from eating jam out of the jar,” John Darnielle sings on this ode to making the most of the time we’ve got.
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LOCATE S,1 – “GO BACK TO DISNEE”
Breezy bossa nova vibes abound on this new single from Locate S,1. New album Wicked Jaw will be out July 28 via Captured Tracks.
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BUSH TETRAS – “BIRD ON A WIRE”
No it’s not the Leonard Cohen classic but NYC post-punk icons Bush Tetras own moody original. New album They Live in My Head is out July 28 via Wharf Cat.
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ANNIE HART – “WHAT MAKES ME”
“I wrote this song when I was feeling incredibly down about myself,” Annie Hart says. “I felt so blah about everything and wondering what my purpose is in the world. I felt like literally the only thing I was good at was feeling gratitude – but, paradoxically, I was so melancholy about it! What the hell! That doesn’t make any sense! So instead of just wallowing in it, I pulled a trick from Belle and Sebastian’s hat and made a song as cute and sing-alongable as I could. If I was going to feel bad about myself, why not have fun with it?” Annie’s new solo album The Weight of a Wave is out August 4.
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PRIYA RAGU – “EASY”
UK-based Tamil-Swiss vocalist, songwriter and producer Priya Ragu’s latest single is skittering R&B jam “Easy.” “We tend to make things way too complicated,” she says. “We don’t want to move too quickly, we don’t want to say it too fast – we expect the other to make the first step – we dance between expectation, ego and fear of rejection. I’m describing a moment where one is giving the green light but nothing is moving at all.”
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HANNAH GEORGAS – “FAKE HAPPY”
Hannah Geogas says “Fake Happy” was “inspired by a relationship that drifted,” adding,”Over the years we had grown apart and trying to maintain a connection had begun to feel awkward and forced. I think sometimes we cling on to what’s left of friendships even if our values no longer align and we’ve changed as people. The space the pandemic afforded for reflection made me realise that I don’t need to do that and should focus my energy on the people who support me and are positive sources in my life.” New album I’d Be Lying If I Said I Didn’t Care is out t August 25 via Real Kind Records.
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FRAN LOBO – “ARMOUR”
London artist Fran Lobo will release her debut album Burning It Feels Like on August 18 via Heavenly Recordings. New single “Armour” has a little classic UK trip hop feel to it.
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KRISTIN HERSH – “MS HAHA”
“Ms Haha” skates along the line between folk and rock, with Kristin’s signature sinister undercurrent. This is from her new album Clear Pond Road which will be out September 8 via Fire.
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FLORRY – “TAKE MY HEART”
Philly alt-country band Florry have shared the second single from The Holey Bible, and it’s another delightful, raw, rustic track.
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EMIL AMOS – “ZONE BLACK”
Emil Amos (Om, Grails, Holy Sons) releases his new solo album Zone Black on August 4 via Drag City, and the latest single is the hypnotic title track.
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CREAK – “A HEAD FULL OF RAIN”
UK metalcore/mathcore band Creak have shared another chaotic taste of their upcoming debut LP for Prosthetic.
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BETHANY COSENTINO – “FOR A MOMENT”
Natural Disaster, Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast’s solo debut, is out later this month, and the latest single is “For a Moment,” folk-pop with a little country twang. “The idea for ‘For A Moment’ came to me one morning on a writing trip to Nashville,” she says. “After waking up to the tragic news of an acquaintance‘s partners’ sudden death. I was laying in bed thinking about how quickly it can all be gone, and how important it is to lean into love and vulnerability while we’re here. As the world changes, moments of joy mean more now than ever before, even if they only last for a moment. I brought the idea to Kate York, Madi Diaz and Sarah Buxton, and the magic of collaboration and songwriting just flowed. I knew I wanted this to be a beautifully lush song filled with mandolin, pedal steel and huge harmonies. It’s also a song that really allowed me to play with my range as a singer. No holding back on this one, literally and figuratively.”
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GAIKA – “PIÑATA”
UK artist Gaika releases new album Drift on September 8 via Big Dada, and new single “Piñata” is a dose of warped, chopped-up electronic pop.
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UNITYTX – “ROC SH!T”
UnityTX have announced a new album, Ferality, due September 8 via Pure Noise. Along with the announcement comes new rap-metal rager “ROC SH!T.”
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XORSIST – “BLESSED BY THE DIVINE”
Stockholm extreme metallers Xorsist will release their sophomore album At the Somber Steps to Serenity on October 6 via Prosthetic, and here’s the raw, evil lead single.
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FOTOCRIME – “I STILL NEED YOU HERE”
Fotocrime (Coliseum, Young Widows) go in a sophisti-pop direction on their latest single. Read about it here.
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WILLIAM MATHENY – “DOWN AT THE HOTEL CANFIELD”
West Virginia singer/songwriter William Matheny’s latest single is a ’70s-style piano ballad inspired by Dubuque, Iowa’s Hotel Canfield. Read more about it here.
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THE DARKNESS – “BLACK SHUCK” (DEMO)
The Darkness are releasing a 20th anniversary deluxe edition of their debut album Permission to Land and among the many bonus tracks is this demo of the album’s AC/DC-via-Judas Priest opener “Black Shuck.”
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MARY JANE DUNPHE – “STAGE OF LOVE”
Mary Jane Dunphe (of Vexx, CCFX Pinocchio, and more) released “Stage Of Love” today to announce her debut solo LP of the same name. It’s heavy with synths, bass, drums, and Mary’s ethereal vocals, gradually opening up to a cathartic chorus.
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Looking for even more new songs? Browse the New Songs archive.